This post is brought to you by the letter A

I was thrilled to read the lovely Mrs. Davis' recent challenge to describe a television show, music, movie, or book from childhood that I'm eager to share with my kids.  There's so much good stuff out there for kids that's persisted since my childhood -- Schoolhouse Rock, the Little House on the Prairie series, Marguerite Henry's books, Dr. Seuss -- but I didn't have a moment's hesitation in selecting the form of education and entertainment that was most influential to me.

I had kind of a mini revelation recently when Mimi was having a rough morning.  She was complaining that she didn't want to go to school that day, because she'd have to participate in group activities and "all I want to do is sit on the couch and read books. 

Before that day, I'd known Mimi was a lot like me personality-wise, but in that moment I realized how much she is her mother's daughter.  One of my own mother's favorite stories is about how I'd interact with other kids in my preschool: since I was so much smaller, they'd carry me around like a doll, then plunk me down and ask me to read them a story.  Once I learned to read, I never wanted to put down a book.  Mimi has certainly inherited my enthusiasm for reading, letters, and stories in general.

So it stands to reason that Mimi is also a huge fan of my favorite early-childhood TV show: Sesame Street.  Actually, it's probably a chicken/egg scenario -- I'm not sure if Sesame Street led to our love of reading or vice versa, but there's no question that Sesame Street has been very influential in instilling enthusiasm for learning about the alphabet, numbers, and language in general. 

Sesame Street debuted in the summer of 1969, and I was born in November of that same year -- so I can literally say that I grew up with the show.  During my childhood, Sesame Street was on once or twice a day (there was no on-demand TV viewing like there is now) but my mom made sure to tune in when it was on.  Through the show, and with my parents' encouragement, I quickly learned my letters and numbers, and even mastered counting to 10 in Spanish. 

I have many favorite memories from the show -- some of which I've been delighted to find immortalized on You Tube.  I've shared the clip of the Funky Shapes Dude before, but I've also found many other favorites:

• "What's the Name of That Song?" -- led by David and with appearances by all of the original cast members (looking considerably younger than they do today.)  This song gives me goosebumps because it brings me mentally back to my childhood, staring at the TV in awe.  I love seeing Luis when he still spoke mostly Spanish on the show, the Fix-It Shop in the background, and Mr. MacIntosh (the fruit vendor) walking through with his apple cart.

• This clip I call "Fat-Cat-Sat" with the funky bald dudes and the weird hairy red guy.  These clips helped me to "get" rhyming.  I remember being simultaneously terrified of and fascinated with these weird looking muppets.

• Another favorite: those weird-looking martians that are fascinated by a ringing telephone.   I remember yelling at the screen when the martians incorrectly thought the phone was a kitty cat -- "No, that's a PHONE!"
  

• It's just a simple animation, but this clip with the mad goat is one that I remembered from my childhood and have recently watched with Mimi.  It's a straightforward lesson about how it's OK to get angry.

• The episode when the Sesame Street humans tell Big Bird that Mr. Hooper has died still makes me cry.  But I don't recall any other kids show tackling the issue of death quite like this one did.

• Short but sweet clip with Ernie and Bert, because no compliation of classic Sesame Street clips would be complete without them.  ("I can't hear you, Bert!  I have a banana in my ear!")

These clips and the others I remember bring me such a sense of nostalgia.  Sesame Street was a constant inluence in my young life -- my brother and I dressed as Ernie and Bert for our first Halloween trick-or-treating, we loved to read The Monster at the End of This Book, we cranked up our Sesame Street albums on the old vinyl record player. 

It's fun to watch Sesame Street now with Mimi and see what she reacts to and what she learns from the show.  The characters are different now -- so many of my favorite characters from childhood such as Sherlock Hemlock, Professor Hastings, Lefty the Salesman, The Amazing Mumford, Roosevelt Franklin, and Ace Reporter Kermit the Frog have vanished from the show, to be replaced by (in my opinion) much more uninteresting muppets such as Elmo, Zoe, Baby Bear, and Telly.  Still, the premise of the show has not changed, and the music and skits remain entertaining.  Mimi and I can sit together and laugh at Grover's antics, clap when Gabriella and Miles sing karaoke, and practice each episode's Spanish Word of the Day.

Even better, Rosie's starting to love Sesame Street as much as her big sister and I already do.  Even our most active little girl will sit in rapt attention for the 45 minutes that it takes to run through a show.  We haven't yet seen evidence that she's picked up language from the show, but I think it's just a matter of time.  Maybe Rosie will be the kid that's carried around in preschool and who reads to her classmates on demand.  If so, we will know exactly where to give credit.

Happy Anniversary, Sesame Street!  Here's to 37 more wonderful years!

Comments

[Mayberry]

Thanks for all the links! Love this. I'm sad that Jo isn't as into Sesame Street as some of the other shows (Noggin). But she learned one of her first "words" from the show: When she was 15 or 16 months old, we'd say "What does the count say?" and she'd reply triumphantly, "Ah ah ah!" with just the right inflection.

[Kvetch]

I knew just what each of those links was going to be --- and I have a fine time scouring through some of those other video clips I found. I was 5 when Sesame Street came on tv, and I loved it -- my brother was born when I was 6 1/2 so I spent the next 6 or more years watching it with him! I was so glad when everyone finally knew that Snuffleupagus was real!

[Amy]

Oh Nancy! i totally love all those links! ANd hey--I was born in December 1969, no wonder I like you so much. Thanks (again) for an awesome post.

[Elizabeth]

It's funny, when the boys were little, neither one of them were interested in watching a whole Sesame Street episode. An hour was just too long for them to sit still. But I've noticed this summer, that if it comes on, Nathan will sit and watch it. So it isn't just for preschool kids!

I want my kids to see "The Electric Company". That show made a lasting impact on me, and I was thrilled to see it out on DVD. My favorite part was when it taught us how to pronounce "tion" at the end of a word-"t i o n shun shun shun shun!". I have a clear memory of sitting in my first grade class , gathered around the TV they had wheeled in on a cart, watching that show.

[madge]

I was a Sesame addict. So too is The Bird. Addiction runs in families, you know.

I remember begging to go watch it at my friend's house because they had a color TV (how boring must it have been in b&w?). My Dad used to love misprouncing Bernie & Ert on purpose so I would correct him. There are 100 other memories. Thanks, Nancy!

[Shannon (Sentimental)]

Great Post and trip down memory lane.

[Mother]

I love this challenge as well. I think it's amazing to watch a show with your kid that you watched..

Me? I loved "The Tweedlebugs" going to the zoo - and they decide to carry the car.

My favorite ever.

[Tug]

I'm just a **coughcough** tad too old for Sesame Street, but remember awaking one Saturday morning when daughter K was young to KISS blaring on the stereo, and Sesame Street blaring on the TV. She LOVED it. And I got to take my grandson to Sesame Street live, because he, too, is now a fan.

[Her Bad Mother]

Sesame Street totally rocked my world, and I'm dying for them to put out a nostalgia DVD set. When you posted the Shapes Dude clip, I just about lost my mind and spent an entire afternoon cruising You Tube for vintage Sesame Street...

[mothergoosemouse]

Nancy, this was great. I love Sesame Street, and like Cathy, I'm disappointed that my girls don't adore it the way I did. Tacy watched when she was a toddler - during the 35th anniversary season - and I remember seeing the scene where Big Bird learns about Mr. Hooper's death. What a tearjerker.

I'll have the watch the clips tomorrow (my laptop's sound card is busted), but I think it's neat that so many people can bond over a single show. We all have our favorite segments, and there are others that we all remember fondly.

[kittenpie]

Have you seen the book Sesame Street Unpaved? It's so fantastic - I grew up without tV and it was still a walk down memory lane. Profiles of all the muppets, bios on the regulars, songs, etc. So fun!

[Carmen]

Those clips were great, and, as another November of '69 baby myself, I remember lots of them.

Great post!

[Mrs. Davis]

LOVE the clips! Especially the "banana in my ear" one!

[Heidi]

SS has been such a fun show to watch with L. We also have a song DVD that has a TON of the old characters on it. I melted when we watched it.